What do you think?
Rate this book
Armageddon's Song #1
Stand - To
Did the Cold War really end? No matter, it's about to get hot anyway. The new Map Illustrated edition of the first volume in the best selling five part series 'Armageddon's Song'. Espionage, subterfuge, corruption in high places and a nuclear plot are uncovered by a beautiful spy who is more used to losing her clothes to learn secrets than she is of keeping them. Will duty bind her to silence or will conscience win over? 'Stand-To' is the first book in the 'Armageddon's Song' series and it puts you in the seat of a Sea Harrier dog fighting over the Pacific, in the control room of a submarine during a torpedo attack in the Atlantic, looking down the sights of a sniper rifle on the north German Plain, and at the side of a Russian paratroop General who leads from the front. Going beyond Clancy's 'Red Storm Rising' and Coyle's 'Team Yankee' to encompass not just a story from a US point of view but also through the eyes and deeds of the other combatants. There are many and varied characters this book will follow, the soldiers and the spooks, the brave and the low on both sides of the conflict, and of course those just trying to survive World War 3.
476 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2013
5 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Andy Farman
24 books19 followersAndy Farman has so far published seven books, two of which were #1 best sellers on UK and Australian Amazon Kindle.
He was born in Cheshire, England in 1956 into a close family of servicemen and servicewomen who at that time were serving or who had served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army.
He joined the British Army as an Infantry Junior Leader in 1972 at the tender age of 15, serving in the Coldstream Guards on ceremonial duties at the Royal Palaces, flying the flag in Africa, and on operations in both Ulster and on the UK mainland.
In 1981 Andy swapped his green suit for a blue one with the Metropolitan Police.
With volunteer reservist service in both the Wessex Regiment and Royal Military Police he spent twenty four years in front line policing, both in uniform and plain clothes. The final six years as a police officer were served in a London inner city borough and wearing two hats, those of an operation planner, and liaison officer with the television and film industry.
His first literary work to be published was that of a poem about life as a soldier in Ulster, sold with all rights to a now defunct writers monthly in Dublin for the princely sum of £11 (less the price of the stamp on the envelope that the cheque arrived in.)
The 'Armageddon's Song' series began as a mental exercise to pass the mornings whilst engaged on a surveillance operation on a drug dealer who never got out of bed until the mid afternoon.
'Of Demons and Blue Moons' is a new genre for him, Swords & Sorcery with an adult flavour, but the military series continues with the first prequel, 'Shaw-Lt: USMC' set in Vietnam.
On retirement he emigrated with his wife to the Philippines where he dives for relaxation and is a member of the famous Asian running club 'The IGAT Runners'.
He was born in Cheshire, England in 1956 into a close family of servicemen and servicewomen who at that time were serving or who had served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army.
He joined the British Army as an Infantry Junior Leader in 1972 at the tender age of 15, serving in the Coldstream Guards on ceremonial duties at the Royal Palaces, flying the flag in Africa, and on operations in both Ulster and on the UK mainland.
In 1981 Andy swapped his green suit for a blue one with the Metropolitan Police.
With volunteer reservist service in both the Wessex Regiment and Royal Military Police he spent twenty four years in front line policing, both in uniform and plain clothes. The final six years as a police officer were served in a London inner city borough and wearing two hats, those of an operation planner, and liaison officer with the television and film industry.
His first literary work to be published was that of a poem about life as a soldier in Ulster, sold with all rights to a now defunct writers monthly in Dublin for the princely sum of £11 (less the price of the stamp on the envelope that the cheque arrived in.)
The 'Armageddon's Song' series began as a mental exercise to pass the mornings whilst engaged on a surveillance operation on a drug dealer who never got out of bed until the mid afternoon.
'Of Demons and Blue Moons' is a new genre for him, Swords & Sorcery with an adult flavour, but the military series continues with the first prequel, 'Shaw-Lt: USMC' set in Vietnam.
On retirement he emigrated with his wife to the Philippines where he dives for relaxation and is a member of the famous Asian running club 'The IGAT Runners'.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 16, 2014
This Genre is almost completely ignored, Cauldron and Vortex by Larry bond are great examples and Red Storm Rising of course. The war techno thriller has one very important ingredient , technical accuracy and this is sadly lacking because otherwise this is a great series. To name a few examples British Harriers launching radar guided missiles such as the Amraam, FA18 firing the Phoenix missile that is carried exclusively by the F14 and the f117a firing air to air missiles. Where did the F22 Raptors disappear to, he has also given the Russians a stealth fighter called the Golden Eagle while this exists in experimental form it is simply not a stealth fighter. The implication is there are many other inaccuracies that I am not aware of in other areas, very disapointing
July 3, 2014
After a bit of a slow start this picks up with a vengeance.
Loved the part when the new Bn CO turns up with a load of GPMGs and old SLRs and the old squaddies "faces light up like it's christmas".
Can't wait to hit part 2.
Loved the part when the new Bn CO turns up with a load of GPMGs and old SLRs and the old squaddies "faces light up like it's christmas".
Can't wait to hit part 2.
October 5, 2014
This book is the first of an epic that offers competition to Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. The plot is basically that Russia and China set off World War III, first by launching a sneak attack by infiltrating agents, then by set piece military invasions. It has a rather long introduction that introduces some key characters in peacetime, it establishes Farman's credentials relating to the British army, and somewhat surprisingly, it offers an abbreviated section that could have been expanded into an excellent thriller. Farman may have a future as a thriller writer. We then get on to the actual war, which Farman writes from the point of view of the British squaddie, and of individuals in other parts of the war, such as fighter pilots and naval officers. He also writes about the politics going on, and here the British soldier's attitude to politicians shows through a little. Stand To is largely about a hiding the allies take as the Russian forces predominate, although naturally the chosen squads fight bravely and successfully. One of the problems of writing an epic like this is that the chosen characters should largely survive, so that aspect means that the overall losses are not noticed amongst the key characters.
The book is easily read, and the reasons I really liked it are there are realistic details of the British infantryman, there are details (such as Velcro tabs) that most people would never consider, and there are details of how the infantryman fights. The book stays away from strategy, apart from the political ructions that come from a retreat, where a badly mauled unit wants to be replaced while it regroups. The fighting retreat is probably the hardest of all military operations to get right, and Farman shows the general incompetence that arises when politicians get in the road of military requirements. The book is obviously the precursor to more, and where it finishes is clearly not an end, but it should give the reader a good taste of what is likely to follow. I enjoyed reading Red Storm Rising, but I actually felt this was better from the soldiers' point of view, hence the rating.
The book is easily read, and the reasons I really liked it are there are realistic details of the British infantryman, there are details (such as Velcro tabs) that most people would never consider, and there are details of how the infantryman fights. The book stays away from strategy, apart from the political ructions that come from a retreat, where a badly mauled unit wants to be replaced while it regroups. The fighting retreat is probably the hardest of all military operations to get right, and Farman shows the general incompetence that arises when politicians get in the road of military requirements. The book is obviously the precursor to more, and where it finishes is clearly not an end, but it should give the reader a good taste of what is likely to follow. I enjoyed reading Red Storm Rising, but I actually felt this was better from the soldiers' point of view, hence the rating.
August 26, 2013
A good read but I really got confused with the covers - this is the first in the series? But has a LARGE yellow Part 2 on the front! Which means I read them out of order. How hard is it to put a simple no nonsense numerical number on the front.
August 6, 2015
I had to give up at 46%...
While there are parts of the story that are enjoyable, the vast majority of it is completely impenetrable to a "Yank" like me. What the hell is the Blue Peter Generation? Also, the never ending alphabet soup of acronyms finally became a deal breaker.
While there are parts of the story that are enjoyable, the vast majority of it is completely impenetrable to a "Yank" like me. What the hell is the Blue Peter Generation? Also, the never ending alphabet soup of acronyms finally became a deal breaker.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews